C ontents

PART I 8 The Making of Harry Potter

17 introduction

21 setting the scene

43 harry potter and the sorcerers stone

71 harry potter and the chamber of secrets

93 harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban

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119 harry potter and the goblet of fire

149 harry potter and the order of the phoenix

171 harry potter and the half-blood prince

195 harry potter and the deathly hallows

PART II 8 The Art of Harry Potter

233 introduction

235 characters Costuming

323 locations Set Design

PAGE TO SCREEN
The Complete Filmmaking journey

421 creatures Special Makeup and Digital Effects

479 artifacts

Prop

Making

PART III 8 Epilogue

529 the golden boards

531 acknowledgments and colophon

An Insight Editions Book

hogwarts castle
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had to be grounded
in reality. An early decision was not to make it whimsical, not
to make it a fairy-tale castle, but to make it heavy, enduring, and
real, explains production designer Stuart Craig. Here is a story
about an English public school [similar to an American private
school], so we made it as much like one as we possibly could. And
so Craig looked first to the two great universities in England
Oxford and Cambridge. But we also went to the great European
cathedrals. We wanted Hogwarts to be in the medieval Gothic
style, which is strong and dynamic, and so we cherry-picked
TOP Concept art by Dermot Power of

from everywherethe best from the universities, the best from

the cathedralsand then slammed them together.
Although designed to look and feel like an enduring institution, Hogwarts has evolved to match the needs of the story over
the course of eight films. The way to go would have been to be
able to read right through the seven books when we started,
Craig laughs. But I think some of these changes and additions
have added a level of interest to the films. Weve moved things
around, let things expand, had them develop, or made them
disappear altogether.

Hogwarts seen through the trees from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 8
Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

324

LEFT Concept art by Andrew Williamson of

the castle from Harry

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The

slytherin
common room
The Slytherin common room has a completely different atmosphere than
Gryffindors. Its in the dungeon under the lake, literally underwater, says production designer Stuart Craig. We chose a slightly earlier style of architecture
thats Norman or Romanesque. Its stockier, sturdier, much more dungeonlike.
Our other premise was that the room should appear to be carved out of solid rock,
like Petra, in Jordan. The Slytherin house colors of green and silver added to the
austere atmosphere. They have those wonderful black leather sofas, says Craig.
And the tapestries on the walls have all the red taken out of their color palettes.
Not surprisingly, the silver fixtures in the room are replete with snake-head motifs.

left The Slytherin common room, as seen in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The dcor makes
ample use of the green and black colors of the house. 8 TOP Another view of the common room, highlighting
its tapestries. 8 ABOVE LEFT Detail of the Slytherin door knocker. 8 ABOVE RIGHT The list of Slytherin house
captains from throughout the houses distinguished history.

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The

HOwler
Graphic designer Miraphora Mina wanted to give the Howler
in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets the look of origami,
the Japanese art of folding paper. I thought there were so many
things in the design that lent themselves to this, she explains.
The ribbon that encircles the letter could turn into a tongue,
for example. The white paper inside could turn into teeth within
the red mouth. I didnt want there to be a face put on the letter
digitally; I wanted the letter to tell its own story. As the talking
Howler would be animated, a library of shapes that mimicked a
real mouth saying the dialogue was created.

The

sorting hat
The Sorting Hat was originally to be portrayed using a puppet, but
when the filmmakers tested it on camera, thats exactly what it
looked likea puppet on a childs head. So the on-screen Sorting
Hat was created digitally based on a leather hat made by costume
designer Judianna Makovsky. The leather hat was soaked in water,
squashed into a cone shape, left overnight to dry, and then further shaped with wires sewn into its lining. When Makovsky first
brought the hat to the set, visual effects supervisor Robert Legato
asked, Where does it talk? Director Chris Columbus looked at
Legato and said, She made the hat. You make it talk.

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TOP Expression studies by Adam Brockbank for the Howler, ranging

from a demure, sealed envelope to a hysterical, spitting, screaming
letter. 8 ABOVE The design by Adam Brockbank for the Weasley wax
seal that adorns Rons Howler. 8 RIGHT The text of Molly Weasleys
letter was transcribed onto a sheet of paper that was incorporated into
this mock-up of the Howler. 8 BELOW Phonetic mouth shapes for the
Howler animation.

TOP LEFT Different views of

the Sorting Hat from pre-production on Harry Potter and

the Sorcerers Stone. 8 MIDDLE The final Sorting Hat 8 ABOVE Steve Kill, a member
of the design team, breaks down a group of Sorting Hat props to ready them for filming.

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The

SNEAkoscope
The Sneakoscope, used to detect untrustworthy or Dark magic,
was created for a scene in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
that takes place after Ron and Hermione return from their first trip
to Hogsmeade. Sad that Harry couldnt join them, Ron gives him
a Sneakoscope he bought for him at Zonkos Joke Shop. Unfortunately, this scene ended up on the cutting-room floor.

The

Deluminator
The Deluminator, or Put-Outer, as it is also known, was first
used by Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone to
withdraw illumination from the street lamps on Privet Drive.
After Dumbledore bequeaths the Deluminator to Ron in his will, it
is learned that it also functions as a type of homing device.
TOP Blueprint by Hattie Storey for the Deluminator, a device that captures nearby light
and holds it until the owner chooses to release the light again. 8 RIGHT A preliminary
concept for the Deluminator by Peter McKinstry. 8 BELOW The final Deluminator prop,
as seen in the Deathly Hallows films.

THIS PAGE Concepts by Dermot Power of a variety of different designs for the
Sneakoscope, and the final prop (top right). The illustration directly above
describes materials to be used in making the prop and attempts to explain how
it might work.

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